Survival Queen of the Frozen Wastes novel Chapter 6

Back inside the cozy wooden cabin, Riley placed her hand on the mysterious gift box that pulsed with a faint purple light.

"Open."

At her mental command, the lid slowly lifted in a soft glow. Lines of item information scrolled across her vision.

"Acquired: Wood x30

"Acquired: Stone x20

"Acquired: Coal x5

"Acquired: Scrap Steel x5"

The sudden influx of basic materials couldn't have come at a better time. Upgrading the shelter had practically drained her reserves, so this little boost was a relief.

Next came the food.

"Acquired: Beef Stew MRE x5"

"No way. This stuff?"

Riley's eyes lit up as she held the few compact boxes of Beef Stew MRE in her hands.

Back before she'd ended up in this frozen world, she wouldn't have touched this kind of pre-packaged meal with its weird, plasticky rice texture. But after two days of chewing on stale hardtack and washing it down with ice-cold water? This might as well have been a five-star dining experience.

Hot, fluffy rice smothered in rich, savory meat sauce... Just thinking about it made her mouth water.

"Guess I'm eating well tonight." Riley grinned and tucked them away safely.

But the rewards kept coming.

"Acquired: Coarse Cotton Cloth x5

"Acquired: Refined Kerosene x3

"Acquired: Frost Token x100"

The cloth and kerosene were clearly meant for crafting—exactly what she needed for that blueprint she'd picked up earlier. As for the Frost Tokens, the system didn't offer any explanation. Riley turned the ice-blue coin over in her palm, studying the delicate snowflake engraved on its surface. It felt cool to the touch.

"Probably for some kind of shop later," she muttered. "Or maybe trading with special NPCs down the line."

Finally, the last item appeared—a piece of gear with a faint green shimmer.

"Acquired: Pioneer's Wristguard (Uncommon)

"Slot: Wrist

"Attribute: Strength +3

"Special Effect: Lumberjack's Proficiency (20% increased logging efficiency, 10% reduced stamina consumption while using axes)

"Flavor Text: A reward for the first survivor bold enough to brave the blizzard. Real power isn't just about guts—it helps to have arms like a gorilla."

"Equip."

Riley slipped the leather bracer onto her right wrist without hesitation. Despite its rugged appearance, the inside was surprisingly soft and comfortable. The moment it was on, a gentle warmth spread from her wrist through her entire body.

She pulled up her character stats immediately.

"Strength: 11(Average adult female baseline is 6-7. You're officially stronger than most now.)"

Riley clenched her fist, knuckles cracking sharply. There was no sudden bulk in her muscles, but she could feel the raw power humming beneath her skin—and it was real.

Even more surprising, the dull ache and stiffness in her overworked arms and shoulders seemed to melt away the second she put the wristguard on.

"Whoa—"

She threw a couple of experimental punches. The air actually whistled as her fists cut through it.

"If that so-called InvincibleWarrior punk showed up in front of me now..." Riley smirked. "I'd use him as a heavy bag."

After sorting through her haul, Riley checked her inventory.

Sixteen slots. Nearly full. Wood, stone, food, water, tools—each category ate up a slot. Sure, stackable items like wood could pile up to 999, but having this many different types was already getting cramped.

"Gonna need to figure out how to expand this inventory soon. Or at least build some storage crates."

For now, she moved the less urgent materials—coal and scrap steel—back into the big wooden crate outside the cabin to free up space.

Then she walked over to the upgraded campfire to check out its new stats.

One look, and she nearly choked.

"Campfire (Lv.2)

"Status: Burning

"Current Consumption: Wood x2 per hour (or Coal x0.2 per hour)"

"Remaining Fuel: 18:00:00

"You've got to be kidding me." Riley stared at the screen, jaw tight. "Why'd the price jump?"

The level one campfire had only burned one piece of wood per hour. After one single upgrade, the consumption rate had doubled.

If only she'd stuffed all her wood into it before upgrading—it would've counted at the lower rate and lasted way longer.

Need it for what?

Then her gaze locked onto the "Outhouse".

As a modern woman, the thing that had driven her closest to losing her mind over the past two days wasn't the cold. It wasn't even the hunger. It was going to the bathroom.

Every single time, she'd had to trudge out into the freezing wind, find a spot in the little woods, and pray no one—or no thing—was watching. The sheer misery of having her bare skin meet that icy blast was something she never wanted to relive.

But this outhouse? The price tag was steep. Almost as much as upgrading the campfire.

"Wood x30, stone x20, scrap steel x5..."

Riley checked her supplies.

The earlier crate had given her steel and stone. Combined with what she'd saved from previous trades, she actually had enough right now.

But five scrap steel?

Scrap steel was the kind of resource you didn't waste lightly. Use it now, and it was gone when you needed it for something bigger.

She scrolled further down and checked the upgrade requirements for "Campfire Lv.3".

"Upgrade Materials: Wood x200, Scrap Steel x30, Coal x20, Stone x50, Energy Core x2"

Riley stared at the screen in silence.

The sheer absurdity of those numbers—especially the mysterious Energy Core she'd never even heard of—crushed any thoughts of upgrading again anytime soon.

"Yeah, no. Level three's a pipe dream at this point.

"For now, I've got food. I've got shelter. And an actual toilet is starting to feel like a basic human right."

Even if it meant burning through that scrap steel just to never feel that particular kind of cold again, it was worth it.

"I'll need more wood first, though."

Playing it safe, Riley decided not to build it just yet. She'd chop some more trees, stockpile a little extra fuel, and put it up when the need became urgent. With the increased campfire consumption, she couldn't afford to get caught short.

Riley glanced at the sky. It was already afternoon, but with the snow boots and wristguard boosting her efficiency, plus the promise of that Beef Stew MRE waiting for her, she felt a surge of motivation.

"Alright. Food first, then I'll go chop down a few dozen trees."

Riley pulled one of the MRE packs from her inventory, opened it efficiently, and added water.

Listening to the soft bubbling from the heating pack and breathing in the rich aroma of beef stew slowly filling the small cabin, Riley let herself smile.

This was what life was supposed to feel like.

And that ridiculously expensive outhouse? That was her first real step toward being a civilized human being again in this frozen hellscape.